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Kerala Agricultural University, Thrissur

The history of agricultural education in Kerala can be traced back to the year 1896 when a scheme was evolved in the erstwhile Travancore State to train a few young men in scientific agriculture at the Demonstration Farm, Karamana, Thiruvananthapuram, presently, the Cropping Systems Research Centre under Kerala Agricultural University. Agriculture was introduced as an optional subject in the middle school classes in the State in 1922 when an Agricultural Middle School was started at Aluva, Ernakulam District. The popularity and usefulness of this school led to the starting of similar institutions at Kottarakkara and Konni in 1928 and 1931 respectively. Agriculture was later introduced as an optional subject for Intermediate Course in 1953. In 1955, the erstwhile Government of Travancore-Cochin started the Agricultural College and Research Institute at Vellayani, Thiruvananthapuram and the College of Veterinary and Animal Sciences at Mannuthy, Thrissur for imparting higher education in agricultural and veterinary sciences, respectively. These institutions were brought under the direct administrative control of the Department of Agriculture and the Department of Animal Husbandry, respectively. With the formation of Kerala State in 1956, these two colleges were affiliated to the University of Kerala. The post-graduate programmes leading to M.Sc. (Ag), M.V.Sc. and Ph.D. degrees were started in 1961, 1962 and 1965 respectively. On the recommendation of the Second National Education Commission (1964-66) headed by Dr. D.S. Kothari, the then Chairman of the University Grants Commission, one Agricultural University in each State was established. The State Agricultural Universities (SAUs) were established in India as an integral part of the National Agricultural Research System to give the much needed impetus to Agriculture Education and Research in the Country. As a result the Kerala Agricultural University (KAU) was established on 24th February 1971 by virtue of the Act 33 of 1971 and started functioning on 1st February 1972. The Kerala Agricultural University is the 15th in the series of the SAUs. In accordance with the provisions of KAU Act of 1971, the Agricultural College and Research Institute at Vellayani, and the College of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Mannuthy, were brought under the Kerala Agricultural University. In addition, twenty one agricultural and animal husbandry research stations were also transferred to the KAU for taking up research and extension programmes on various crops, animals, birds, etc. During 2011, Kerala Agricultural University was trifurcated into Kerala Veterinary and Animal Sciences University (KVASU), Kerala University of Fisheries and Ocean Studies (KUFOS) and Kerala Agricultural University (KAU). Now the University has seven colleges (four Agriculture, one Agricultural Engineering, one Forestry, one Co-operation Banking & Management), six RARSs, seven KVKs, 15 Research Stations and 16 Research and Extension Units under the faculties of Agriculture, Agricultural Engineering and Forestry. In addition, one Academy on Climate Change Adaptation and one Institute of Agricultural Technology offering M.Sc. (Integrated) Climate Change Adaptation and Diploma in Agricultural Sciences respectively are also functioning in Kerala Agricultural University.

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  • ThesisItemOpen Access
    Selection parameters in groundnut
    (Department of Plant Breeding and Genetics, College of Agriculture, Vellayani, 1984) Radhika, C; KAU; Gopinathan Nair, V
    Forty divergent varieties of groundnut belonging to the hunch and serai-spreading groups were subjected to preliminary evaluation in summer rice fallows and kharif uplands. Studies on the various aspects like variability, heritability, stability and correlations were undertaken, A selection index was also formulated and the superior, stable varieties for the two locations were identified. The varieties were found to differ significantly for the various characters like number of days to maturity, number of primary branches per plant, height of plants, number of mature pods per plant, number of immature pods per plant, number of pegs per plant, weight of haulms per plant, fresh weight of mature pods per plant, dry weight of mature pods per plant, 100-pod and kemal weights and shelling percentage in rice fallows. In uplands, the varieties differed significantly for the number of days to flowering, number of days to maturity, number of primary branches per plant, height of plants, number of mature pods per plant, number of pegs per plant, weight of haulms per plant, 100-pod weight, 100-kemal weight and shelling percentage. Pooled analyses were done for the various characters to determine the influence of environment on them. It was found that number of days to flowering, number of days to maturity, number of primary branches per plant, number of mature pods per plant, number of immature pods per plant, number of pegs per plant, weight of haulms per plant, fresh weight of mature pods per plant, 100-pod weight and shelling percentage were influenced by environment to various degrees. But height of plants, dry weight of mature pods per plant and 100-kemal weight were found to have stable performance.
  • ThesisItemOpen Access
    Effect of mutagens on the growth response and mutation rate in chillies
    (Department of Agricultural Botany, College of Agriculture, Vellayani, 1984) Asha, M S; Krishnan Nair, N
    Varietal sensitivity of chillies (Capsicum annuum L.) to the roost potent mutagens Co-gamma rays and Ethyl Methane sulphonate was assessed by using twenty available genotypes. The experiments were conducted at the Department of Agricultural Botany, College of Agriculture, Vellayani during the summer seasons of 1982 and 1983. The sensitivity of the varieties was assessed based on the direct effect of the mutagens in the generation. The parameters chosen include germination percentage days taken to complete germination# growth rate based on plant height and branching ability# days taken to flowering and maturity and various fruit characters. To assess the induced variability due to gamma rays seeds of population from the two most popular varieties# Pant and Black suryamukhi along with the control were carried forward to the Mg generation and the general effect studied based on various growth metrics including plant height and number of branches and other yield attributing characters. The statistical analysis of the data collected from the first generation clearly demonstrated that there exists a wide variation for sensitivity among the different genotypes of chillies to both the mutagens. In majority of the cases the morphological and yield attributing characters showed a significant reduction in treated population compared to the control. While comparing the effect of the two mutagens it is seen that EMS is more effective in reducing the mean values in growth metrics compared to gamma rays. Delay in germination and growth rate were induced by the mutagens lethality and sterility were induced by both the mutagens in almost all the varieties. Based on lethality and sterility it was possible to classify the varieties as least sensitive moderately sensitive and sensitive varieties. Analysis of induced variability in generation showed a significant, shift in mean value either in positive or negative direction based on the character under study. This clearly demonstrated that a positive response to selection can be created by gamma rays in chillies.